EGFR Gene Signature Predicts Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Prognosis

9:34 January 12, 2010

CORONADO, Calif. — Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a validated therapeutic target for non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers have now discovered a 93-gene signature that is associated with the presence of EGFR mutations in tumors from lung cancer patients and is a favorable prognostic marker in patients with early stage lung cancer.

“We hope this mutation signature will be able to define patients with these tumor types who will then respond to EGFR inhibition,” said Pierre Saintigny, M.D., Ph.D., a research scientist at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Data presented at the AACR-IASLC Joint Conference on Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer have immediate clinical implications. The EGFR-mutation signature will be evaluated as a predictor of response in the BATTLE (Biomarker-integrated Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination) I trial, which will be presented later this year.

For the current study, the researchers conducted messenger RNA expression profiling on 195 human lung adenocarcinoma samples. They found a 93-gene signature that identified the presence of EGFR mutation and was validated in multiple cohorts of lung cancer patients. Furthermore, the presence of this gene signature was significantly correlated with drug sensitivity to erlotinib and gefitinib in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Saintigny said the EGFR-mutation signature may help guide medical treatment decisions, may provide prognosis information beyond EGFR-mutation status and may give some biological insights in EGFR-mutant tumors.

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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 30,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and nearly 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, research fellowship and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 16,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.

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